"Out-of-context provocation"... Statements about Egypt spark anger.
Arabian Sea Newspaper - Exclusive
((Arab Gulf)) Follow-ups: Statements by the head of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, regarding the Egyptian role in the war on the Strip, have sparked widespread criticism in Egyptian political and media circles, at a time when they are described as part of the recent "bids" targeting Cairo. During his speech yesterday, the Hamas leader called for "marching towards Palestine by land and sea and besieging embassies," while addressing the Egyptians, saying: "O people of Egypt and its leaders, how can you allow your brothers to die on your borders?" Egyptian diplomats and analysts considered these statements to be an "unacceptable provocation" and a "blatant political bid," especially in light of the pivotal Egyptian role in mediating a ceasefire and its continuous attempts to push for the entry of humanitarian aid and alleviate the suffering of civilians in the Strip. Meanwhile, observers considered al-Hayya's statements to "reflect a state of confusion within the Hamas leadership," amid a state of popular discontent in Gaza towards the movement. These statements come at a time when the Gaza Strip is witnessing catastrophic humanitarian conditions, amid the continuation of Israeli military operations and the faltering of truce negotiations aimed at a ceasefire. Serving the "Misleading Narrative" For his part, the former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hussein Haridi, said that "what was issued by al-Hayya comes within the framework of a systematic campaign organized by the Muslim Brotherhood group at the global level, with the aim of undermining the Egyptian role and distorting the political and humanitarian efforts made by Cairo to stop the war and alleviate the suffering of civilians." Haridi explained in statements to the "Sky News Arabia" website that "al-Hayya's statements represent a clear model of those political bids that we follow daily on social media platforms, and which are largely directed against the Egyptian state." The former Egyptian diplomat considered that "these statements do not provide any real support for the Palestinian cause, but actually contribute to serving the Israeli narrative, and that a major reason behind the continuation of this war is Hamas' intransigence and its rejection of the political efforts made." Haridi added, "It is clear that these statements aim to cover up the failures of the movement's leadership and its intransigence in stages of the ongoing negotiations," stressing that such statements affect the level of "trust" with Egypt, but Cairo will not deviate from its responsibilities, and will continue to play its national and humanitarian role to end the war as soon as possible, based on its firm commitment to the entire Palestinian people, and not to a particular faction, according to him. He affirmed that the speech of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi regarding the situation in Gaza came to clarify the constants of the Egyptian position to everyone, summarizing it in 3 main demands, which are a ceasefire, the entry of aid, and the release of hostages, in addition to directing an appeal to world leaders to intervene to stop the war. During his speech, President Sisi affirmed that Egypt cannot play a negative role towards the Palestinian brothers, saying that "the Egyptian role is honorable, sincere and faithful and will not change, and we are keen to find solutions to end the war." He added: "There is nothing preventing the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip," stressing the need for the Rafah crossing to be open from the Palestinian side. Statements Inconsistent with Reality The Egyptian expert specializing in international relations, Ayman Samir, said in his statements to the "Sky News Arabia" website that al-Hayya's statements about Egypt "are inconsistent with reality, as Egypt at all levels, whether official or popular, does not wait for directives or demands from Hamas leaders at any time." He stressed that "Egypt is doing everything it can, starting from mediating to stop the war and bringing in aid, and strongly confronting the displacement project despite all the pressures exerted on it," adding: "Therefore, Cairo does not wait for any directives or calls, whether from Hamas or from others." In the same vein, Egyptian Parliament member Mustafa Bakri addressed Khalil al-Hayya, saying: "I wish Hamas would issue a statement rejecting the siege of Egyptian embassies carried out by the Muslim Brotherhood and its international organization, but instead you hold us responsible for the starvation siege." Bakri affirmed that Egypt has not fallen short in supporting the people of Gaza "politically and humanely," and has not abandoned the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people at any time, adding: "You know Egypt's role and the effort it is making, which culminated in the entry of more aid recently."
